Chapter 113: The Hero of Darkness has Arrived

A deafening roar ripped through the sky, shaking the very earth beneath their feet. The once vibrant battlefield, where the forces of Kastoria clashed with the relentless Demons, suddenly fell into an eerie silence. The sky, a brilliant canvas of azure, seemed to pulse with tension, while the sun blazed overhead, casting sharp, unforgiving shadows on the ground.

Even the air itself seemed to quiver, as if in anticipation of something monumental.

"GRAAAAH!!!"

The terrifying sound echoed once more, reverberating through the hearts of those below. Every warrior, regardless of their allegiance, froze in place, their weapons lowered as their eyes turned skyward. The air was thick with dread, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

"Look there!" A voice rang out, breaking the stillness. All heads turned as one, their gazes fixed on a distant speck in the sky. At first, it was nothing more than a dark dot, barely discernible against the brightness of the heavens. But as the seconds ticked by, the dot grew larger, hurtling toward them with terrifying speed.

"Raise your guards! Everyone, retreat back!" Kratos's voice cut through the panic like a blade, sharp and commanding.

"Fall back, now!" Ryuuki echoed, urgency lacing his words as he took a defensive stance.

What was once a distant blur was now unmistakable. A dragon—no, a true dragon—was bearing down on them. Its scales gleamed like polished gold, reflecting the sunlight in blinding bursts. The creature's roar, both magnificent and terrifying, reverberated through the air as it sliced through the sky with a grace that belied its massive size.

"K-Kratos..." A weak, trembling voice broke through his focus. Kratos glanced down at Megara, who was leaning heavily on his shoulder. Her eyes, clouded with pain and exhaustion, were not fixed on the dragon itself but on something—or someone—atop it.

Following her gaze, Kratos felt his breath catch in his throat. Three figures were visible on the dragon's back, their forms becoming clearer with each passing moment. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized the first figure—Semiramis, his trusted comrade, standing tall and poised behind a man and a woman.

The woman, cloaked in an ominous black robe, had her face obscured by a mask that only revealed her piercing eyes. She stood close to the man beside her. The young man was similarly masked, his right eye concealed beneath an eye patch, leaving only a single, gleaming golden eye exposed to the world.

Kratos's eyes widened in shock as recognition dawned. "He... he really came..." he muttered under his breath, a mix of disbelief and relief washing over him. How this man had managed to ally with a dragon was beyond Kratos's comprehension, but one thing was certain—they were on his side.

"OYY!! It's a dragon, guys!!" The shout of alarm came from one of Ryuuki's classmates, his voice cracking with fear.

"A true dragon!" someone else echoed, their voice trembling. Panic began to spread among the ranks as the reality of the situation settled in.

"Shouldn't we run away?!" another cried out, the suggestion causing a ripple of uncertainty among the gathered warriors.

"Ryuuki..." Yumiko's voice was soft, almost a whisper, as she looked to him for a decision.

"Let's wait," Ryuuki responded, his tone steady but cautious. "We don't know if it's an enemy yet. The Demons look panicked too." He failed to notice the wave of relief that washed over Kratos's features.

"Who cares if it's a dragon!" Yusuke's voice broke through the tension, his bravado almost reckless. He was practically vibrating with excitement at the thought of battling such a legendary creature. To him, this was an opportunity to prove his strength, to show the world that he was the strongest Hero of them all.

Ayaka, Akane, and Rena, however, remained silent. Their eyes were trained on the dragon, their bodies tense and ready for anything. They knew better than to let their guard down, even for a moment.

Meanwhile, the rest of their classmates cowered in fear, some even hiding behind their braver peers. Fighting Demons had been terrifying enough, but over the past year, they had grown accustomed to the horror. But a dragon—a true dragon—was something entirely different, something beyond their wildest nightmares.

Even the golden dragon behind him, a creature of immense strength, showed a strange mixture of respect and fear towards its master.

"R-Ryuuki... that guy is dangerous..." Kazuto whispered, swallowing hard as he tore his gaze away from Nathan.

The air was thick with tension as all the Heroes' eyes fixated on Nathan, the so-called Hero of Darkness. He was their prime target, the one they had been warned about.

Nathan was supposed to be an Earthling, someone summoned from another world just a week ago. But as he strode across the battlefield, he looked nothing like any Earthling they had ever seen. His hair was as dark as the blackest coal, absorbing all light around it. He wore a suit of armor that was equally pitch black, a stark contrast to the blazing sun overhead.

His face was completely hidden beneath the armor, save for his eyes—dark gold with an eerie vertical slit that shimmered with a predatory gleam.

As Nathan moved, both the Heroes of Kastoria and their armies fell into a hushed, fearful silence. There was something about him, something that commanded attention and inspired dread in equal measure. The air grew thick with tension as they watched the Hero of Darkness advance toward Megara's crumpled form.

Nathan cast a brief, indifferent glance at Megara's dying body. To him, her fate was of little concern—whether she lived or died made no difference to him personally. But he knew her value as an Archdemon, a vital asset in the looming battle against the Divine Knights. Letting her die now would be a waste of resources.

"Heal her, Medea," Nathan commanded, his voice cold and devoid of emotion.

"Yes, Milord~" Medea replied, her tone syrupy sweet. Although her face was concealed beneath her robe, her mismatched eyes—one blue, one red—gleamed with a joy that was impossible to miss. The delight in her voice was palpable, and it wasn't hard to imagine that her cheeks were flushed with happiness at Nathan's request.

"Who's she?" Kratos asked, his voice thick with suspicion. There was something about Medea that set off alarm bells in his mind, an instinctive sense of danger that he couldn't shake. Despite her seemingly innocent demeanor, he knew this woman was extremely dangerous.

"She's with us. Don't worry," Semiramis assured him, though her voice held a note of uncertainty. She didn't trust Medea—not entirely. But she had witnessed firsthand the depth of Medea's devotion to Samael. The woman was utterly, hopelessly in love with him. If Samael asked her to, Medea would set the world ablaze without hesitation.

There was no way she would act against his wishes.

Medea approached Megara, her movements graceful and deliberate. She extended her arm over Megara's body and began to chant in a language that was foreign and ancient, her voice a soft murmur. "Kleshi rnvuls su yeri."

A dark red glow enveloped Megara, the light pulsating with an otherworldly energy. Megara groaned slightly, but the deathly pallor of her skin began to fade, replaced by a healthier flush.

Kratos watched in stunned silence, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Who are you...?" he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Medea ignored him, her focus entirely on healing Megara. But her eyes, filled with longing and adoration, were not on her patient—they were fixed on the back of the man she loved with every fiber of her being. Nathan—or rather, Samael—was already moving on, his attention now directed toward the Heroes of Kastoria, who stood waiting in uneasy anticipation.

Kratos turned to Semiramis, silently pleading for answers. But she had none to give. What could she say? She had heard the legends, the whispers of Medea's genius. But in the presence of Samael, Medea was something else entirely—something terrifyingly powerful.

"According to the Lord Commander," Semiramis finally said, her voice low, "she is the Greatest Dark Sorceress in the world."

"What?" Kratos's eyes darted back to Medea, whose expression was one of pure obsession, her love-struck gaze following Nathan as he walked away.

Nathan, or Samael, continued his slow, deliberate approach toward the Heroes of Kastoria.